Thread: Coast Guard gets 100th new medium response boat

Coast Guard gets 100th new medium response boat

Wed, 2012-08-15 08:29 AM By: Mark Rockwell

100th RB-M

The crew of Coast Guard Station St. Ignace, MI. took delivery on Aug. 13 of a new 45-foot Response Boat-Medium (RB-M), marking the 100th of 166 planned for the service.

The station crew, said the Coast Guard, will be running tests on the new boat out of the St. Ignace Harbor in Lake Huron, to check its advanced capabilities.

With 825 boiler horsepower, the RB-M can respond faster than previous boats of similar size and has a top speed in excess of 40 knots, it said. The RB-M, built by Marinette Marine in Manitowoc, WI, is a more capable platform for search and rescue and law enforcement, allowing Coast Guard crews to get on the scene of a maritime emergency safer and faster.

The RB-M marks the 100th off the production line, out of a planned 166 RB-Ms built for the service through the Coast Guard's Acquisition Directorate, according to the Coast Guard.

The service said the craft has advanced search capability with an installed forward-looking infrared search technology and twin jet propulsion. The vessel is extremely maneuverable and best suited to respond to mariners in distress in shallow water.

The boat has a deep-V, double-chine hull, providing a balance of performance and stability. It can handle heavy seas and waves up to 12 feet and carry up to 24 people and is designed to right itself if capsized in rough weather.

"Our crew is eager to start training with the new platform and utilizing its advanced systems to prevent loss of life," said senior chief Michael Beatty, officer-in-charge of Station St. Ignace.

The RB-M is being added to Station St. Ignace's current asset complement, consisting of two 25-foot Response Boats-Small, one 26-foot Trailerable Aids-to-Navigation Boat and will be replacing the station's 47-foot Motor Life Boat.

Coast Guard gets 100th new medium response boat | Government Security News

Coast Guard kicks the tires/treads on new arctic vehicles

Thu, 2012-08-16 08:12 AM By: Mark Rockwell

Arctic test vehicle

As the Coast Guard looks to a more expansive role in the arctic, it is field testing new arctic-capable, amphibious vehicles in Alaska during August.

On Aug. 15, it said personnel from the 17th Coast Guard District and the Coast Guard Office of Boat Forces are assisting the Coast Guard Research and Development Center in conducting evaluations on some Arctic craft in Barrow on Aug. 13-17.

The Coast Guard said it is testing boats, or vessels smaller than 65-feet long, which are capable of operating in icy conditions and are becoming necessary to accomplish parts of its statutory missions.

“We’re looking for a craft that is capable of transiting through and over ice and ice-strewn water,” said Rich Hansen, a branch chief at the Coast Guard Research and Development Center, in New London, CT. “We’re also looking for shallow water capability, and the ability to operate in areas with minimal infrastructure. Ideally we would like to find something that could be flown in on Coast Guard aircraft in the event of an incident requiring our response.”

The Center, said the Coast Guard, solicited industry participation through a Broad Agency Announcement earlier this year.

During the one-week evaluation in August, Coast Guard personnel on scene will document the demonstrations for assessment by the Coast Guard Research and Development Center.

“This demonstration is only evaluating potential technologies that may provide improved capabilities in the arctic environment,” said Hansen. “The information gained will be used by the Coast Guard to explore its options for operating in this challenging environment.”

At this time, said the Coast Guard, there isn’t an active acquisition activity for either of the craft being observed, however.

Coast Guard kicks the tires/treads on new arctic vehicles | Government Security News